Seating table



Jan. 1, 1929.

w. c. JAMES SEATING TABLE Filed Aug. 50, 1926 3 Sheets Sheet 1 Jan. 1-, 1929 w. c. JAMES SEATING TABLE w' daJms Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,428

W. c. JAMES SEATI NG TABLE Filed Aug' SO, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 16 Al i Inventor Willard C. Jamzes Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

UNITE. srArEs PATENT orriou.

WILLARD G. JAMES, OF LOS ANGELES; CALIFORNIA.

SEATING TABLE.

Application filed August 30, 1926. Serial No. 132,474.

and in various situations and is broadly new basic and pioneer in numerous respects in that it has, hinged to its legs, seatsadapted to fold flatwise against such legs; and the seats areprovidedv with seat supporting legs hinged thereto and adapted to fold against the seats when the seats are folded against the table legs, thus making a compact article of furniture; provision is also made whereby the seats may be constructed in hinged sections so as tofold against the table legs be- 'neath both the side and the end edges of the table top; and provision is also made for folding end seats under the table top and within the frame of thetable, for providing strong seat sections, and for minimizing exposure of the seat hinges.

A feature'of the invention is the constructionof'the seat legs of flat material of considerable width compared to the thickness of the legs so that they fold into comparatively small space. i Y

. Other objects, advantagesand features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description-and the appended claims. I

The accompanying drawings illustratethe invention in the form' at present deemed most desirable. a

Figure 1 is a broken perspective view of 40 a table constructed in accordance with this invention, partly folded and partly unfolded Some parts are'broken away to expose parts otherwise hidden. 7

Fig. 2-is a plan of the table partly folded and partly unfolded; the table top and leaves being omitted and outlined in-broken lines; one end seat and oneside seat areshown extended and the other seats are shown folded.

Fig. ,3 is an end elevation of the table folded. Broken lines indicate the side seats extended. The leaf is raised to expose the end construction.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the table folded; broken lines show one end. seat .and one end leaf extended.

Fig. :5 :is a ifragm'ental detail' illustrating the seat, end extension: and hinge mounting; line. 02 Fig. 6 indicates theplane of'section, the seat being folded up against thetableleg and end frame pieces, a. fragment. of one. of 160 which end pieces is shown in horizontal section. V -Fig. 6 is a fragmental detail looking at-the left end of the. main seat section and the bottom side'of-theleft end-seat extension=as the same appears whenfolded against-@the table leg 1' shown at the leftin Fig.1.

'Fig. 7. is a. section between the hingesiat the right end of the seat shown atthe .front in Fig. 1; the main seat section andthe right end seat section are shown folded against-a table leg. 7

The table legs 1 maybe ofanynsuitable Size and. form and the upper portions thereof are shown, rectangular-win cross-ssectionfi i The side frame pieces 2v are-.securedbyany suitable means as by screws 0 tothe inner sides of the legs ;.and the end frame pieces 3 are. in like manner secured by screwed to the/outside of the legs. The top edgesi-ofthe frame pieces are flush; with the topendsiof the table legs to form a firmtrue surface onto which the table top 5 is secured inany 'suitable well known wayas by screws 6. a

' Thelower edges of the side frame pieces..-2-- are recessed to, provide accommodating spaces 6 for the legs of the occupantsofthemain side seatmembers 7, 7, that areuhingedzat their .inner ends. by hinges-8,; mounted. on

projecting blocks 12 that are fixed to theeouter sides of-thetable legs about halfway between the top and bottom ends of such legs; and the inner edges. of the mainseat sections 7, 7 are-recessed as at 9to cooperate with recesses 60f theside" frame pieces 2,130 accommodate thelegs or persons seated on such'main. seat sect-ions.

The main ;;-seat: sections are provided I at their mid-lengths with broad flat seat supportinglegs 1O hinged to the under sides of said sections by leg hinges 11, to foldtowa-rd the inner or hingededges 13 of the main seat members. .The hinges 8:,are. shown with projecting knuckles 14; and when desiredflche mailr seatmembers may be 'foldedgflatwise against theouter faces ofthe tablelegs, with the outer edges of said members against -or close to the underside of the table top. .The blocks 13 serve the double. purposeof. spacing the seats 7 and 72178 11811 '1I1i6XteIided"POSitions .for (use, laterally ifrom'the. table, for

greater-comfort to the occupantsandwserve .2 The main seat sections are shown provided on their under sides with end cleats c to strengthen such sections, and the main seat hinges 8 are seated on said cleats.

The end seat extensions 15, are oined H by a miter joint to the main seat members 7 '7,and are hinged by hinges 16 let into the mitered ends of said extension and sections so that the'seat extensions of each seat section may be folded flat against the top faces of such'section, or may project at right angles to-such section, to fit snugly against the end faces of the table legs.

Each seat extension 1s provided near its middle with a transverse flat seat extension legyas at 17, 17, hinged by one or more 7 hinges as at 18, 18, to fold toward the free end of such extension.

"The side seat sections as at 7 are longer than the spaces between the end faces 19 of the table legs, to form projecting abutments 20 and 20' when the sections 7 and 7 are folded up against the legs. Such abutments are of different lengths, one asat 20, being about equal in 'lengthjto the thickness of the seat extensions 15, 15, so that when the seats are folded up and the extensions are folded table.

toward the faces of-the table legs, the seat extension 15 on one side of the table will fold over onto and lie flat against the end extension,15of the seat on the'other side of the The seat extensions 15 are provided with seats formed by blocks 21 on which one leaf of each leg hinge 18, 18 is fixed, so that when theextensions 15 are folded against the end faces of the table legs and the extensions 15 are folded onto the extensions 15, the legs 1'? may fold over the extensions 15, and the legs 17 may foldover the extensions 15. The legs 17 and 17 are of the same thickness and'are arranged on their seat sections so that they'fold edge to edge, and their outer faces are flush with each other.

- The ends of the table top project to form abutments 22 to which leaves'23 are hinged as at 24. Said abutments overhang the folded end sections and legs, and when the leaves are letdown, they fold against the seat section'leaves, as shown in Fig. 4.

" The legs at one end of the table are provided with rubber tired wheels 25 on an axle 25f and the legs at the other end of the table are provided with casters 26; the wheels being mounted on the ends of said axle 25' that extend beyond the table legs, andthetable may be moved over a bare or carpeted floor with great ease and facility in every direction when the seat legs are off the floor; but when such legs are on the floor, the table is held stationary by the friction of the seat legs on the floor. 7 7

End seats 27 are provided with swinging legs 28 that are adapted to rest on the floor when the seats are to be occupied and said seats are connected to the legs of the table by a jointed connection formed of a link 29 journalled to the end seat at one end and two links 30 pivoted to link 29 by a pivot 31 and pivoted to the table legs as by the coaxial pivots 32; the link 29 being free to swing be-' tween the two links 30, to allow the end seat 27 to be swung from its extended position shown at the right end of Fig. l to the retracted position shown at the left end of Fig.

1, and at the right end of Fig. 2.

Supporting pins 33 project inwardly from the side rails 2 of the table to receive the end seat 27 between the pins and the table top; and the end seats have transverse slots 34 to hook onto a flanged catch 35 that is fixed to a pin 36 projecting inwardly from the end rail 3 of the table frame, there being an end seat and catches and pins therefor at each end of the table. L V

The end leaves 23 of the table are shown provided with a shoulder 37 to rest on the end of a prop 38 pivoted to the table end 3 by the joint 39 and adapted to be moved into andv out of propping position as required to hold the table leaves up: or to allow them to be low} cred. r

The joined edges of the main seat sections 3 7 and 7 and their end extensions 15 and 15' are beveled at an angle of 45 degrees and the leaves of the hinges '16 arefitted to the level faces as at a0 and the knuckles of. the hinges are uppermost when the seat is down so that the joints are rigid against depression of the end extensions and the seat board formedby the parts 7 15 and 15' is rigid with respect to depression of the end extensions when the main section is supported by its'leg 10, and the legs 17 and 17 are shown hinged to the undersides of such extensions centrally between the joint at 410 and to the ends of the extensions so that the weight of one seated on the extension will be carried by the leg without danger of breaking the joint. The miter joint also affords a wider face to receive the leaves of the hinges so that wider hinge leaves can be used than would otherwise be practical. I

Reinforcement for the miter joints 40 are provided in the form of dowels 41' embedded longitudinally in said joints, being glued in the beveled ends of the main side seat members 7 and 7 and fitting in cavities 42 in the bevel edges 40 of the seat sections 15, 15'.

I claim 1. In combination with table legs; a main seat hinged to such legs on one side of the table; means to support the main seat in seating position; a seat section hinged to the end of the main seat and adapted to be made to extend across the end of the table and below the table topwhen the main seat is folded up at the side of the table, the pins of the hinges between the main seat and the seat section being arranged at the upper sides of the seat section, so that the weight of the end sections will hold the main seat in folded position at the side of the table when the seat section is folgclled against the table legs at the end of the ta e.-

2. In combination with a table, having legs, a seat proper hinged to the table legs for folding vertically thereagainst when not in use, a seat extension hinged to the seat proper and folded vertically therewith and substantially at a right angle thereto," whereby the weight of the seat extension will tend one of its ends hinged to an end of the seat proper to fold upwardly with the seat proper, and stand vertically against the legs at an end of the table and at substantially a right angle to the seat proper, whereby its weight will counterbalance the seat proper and thus hold it with its folding support in folded position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 23rd day of August, 1926.

WILLARD C. JAMES. 

